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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand attendees filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of togetherness, frustration and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation to attend was simple: “I’m here because the system is broken, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference is showing up in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this movement. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his pledges, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the supporters the value of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead devoting the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his closing words.